1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for loading and closing containers, and, in particular, to loading flexible bags with packages in the field of package shipping.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of package shipping, small packages heading to a common destination are often placed in flexible shipping bags for shipment. The process of filling shipping bags with packages manually is extremely labor intensive and, therefore, slow and expensive. Since competitiveness in the package shipping industry depends primarily on efficiency, it is preferable to automate this process. Conventional automatic material bagging systems are too large for use in the package shipping industry which might employ as many as 500 automatic baggers in a single facility. Thus, what is needed are simple, inexpensive, reliable, and compact methods and apparatuses for loading and closing shipping bags.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages and drawbacks of the known art and to provide methods and apparatuses for loading and closing shipping bags.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, and reliable apparatus for automating the loading and closing of shipping bags.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a detailed description of a preferred embodiment which follows.